


Synesthesia

by PixelSylveon



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Other Ships To Be Added, going for that sweet irozuku AU, lonashipping, lunaredgeshipping, tags to be added as it updates, whatever else its called
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-25 03:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17717180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelSylveon/pseuds/PixelSylveon
Summary: An ex-idol with broken dreams finds herself in another world full of weird monsters and overly rambunctious people.And for the longest time, she hadn't been able to see in colour until that fateful day.~~~working title because I'm trash. Updates will take forever because I'm just dumping the first two chapters today.





	1. Fateful End

Lights pulsated in the corner of her vision - different hues, from bright white to tones of grey, scattered across her eyes as she looked out towards the crowd, bass music ringing in her ears. She was panting, one arm raised in front of her, a fake horizon line that held the gazes of thousands of fans jumping and waving their glowsticks. They called in joy, in ecstasy - it was another successful live, as according to them, and the other girls around Moon. She looked to her left, and a glowing smile greeted her. Moon's heart sank.

For her, all she could feel was disappointment.

Tears trickled in the corner of her eyes as she bowed and waved towards their fans, teeth piercing the flesh of her lips. The taste of sweet iron flooded into her mouth, but she swallowed it, along with the rest of her pride.

It was their final live, and she couldn't even meet her own bare expectations.

They exited the stage, and Moon belted past the other girls, thunder following her trail as she weaved through the maze of backstage equipment and people. The tears began to spill, and her monotone vision blurred as she ran faster, farther away. Her heart ached, pulled her chest tight, as if it was drawing the curtains on its own failure of a show. Moon choked on her sobs and came to a sudden halt when her side met a wall. She slid down, cries becoming more crazed, more feral, every feeling she had been bottling up had come loose, had begun to spill, and she didn't feel like holding on any longer.

The dark hall hid her folded form. She continued to cry, head in her hands, numbness invading her very being. It started with her hands, her feet, and climbed through her body, consoling her, whispering seductive atrocities. It seeped into her mind, and clouded her thoughts, calming her.

It didn't really matter when, did it? She was planning _it_ regardless. Her gaze travelled to her bracelet, a sparkly, galaxy-coated thing that stretched like rubber. It signified she was part of her idol group, but it also had a blade tucked away, modded by Moon herself.

Her eyelids drooped, expression almost serene.

_It would be easy, wouldn't it?_

Before she even reached out for her bracelet, hands enveloped her wrists, pinning her arms in place. Weight pressed down against her back, and then she was enveloped in a tight hug. Long, dark hair tickled her wet cheeks, and Moon froze.

Time stopped, if only for a moment. And then the weight retreated, cold filling in the places where there was once warmth. Moon turned her head, slowly, hands shaking as she tried to stand. Beside her was her group-mate - her rival - her friend, dark eyes and dark hair with streaks of white gazing at her forlornly. The corners of her painted lips tugged down, her hands held out to Moon.

"Come with me."  


~

The dark, starless sky loomed overhead as Moon leaned against the balcony of her friend's abode. Below was nothing but sea, and Moon could almost picture herself climbing the railing, walking along it like a cat, only to give into her inhibitions-

_No._

She sighed, resting her chin in her hands. Her friend had talked her into holding on, if only for a while longer. She could at least do that much for her.

After all, they had done so much together…

A screen door opened and closed, and Moon turned towards the sound. The black-haired beauty stood before her once again, this time with a soft smile gracing her lips. In her hands was a small device - a light coloured cube with blinking text - and Moon furrowed her brows.

"What is that?" She coughed after her question, only now noticing how dry her throat had become in the hours after their last performance

“Salvation,” the girl replied matter-of-factly, pressing a button on the cube at the same time.

Light exploded around them, and then to their left was a rip in the sky. It wavered, shimmering yet ephemeral, like something out of a science fiction novel. Moon gaped, dumbstruck, unsure of what was now before them.

“It won’t last long,” her friend chided, placing her hand against Moon’s back. She traced circles against it, motioning for a goodbye that Moon was unaware of. “Step forward. Find yourself a world of colour.”

With a sudden shove, Moon fell towards the hole in the sky. And then she fell through, and then down, lights and sound rushing past her. Everything was blurry, and yet she could see clearly, too fear-struck to shut her eyes.

It stopped, suddenly. She landed on clouds of dust and particles, body in one piece. She looked back and forth, jumping back when a bus-stop sign appeared. A horn honked, and a small bus rolled up, looking every bit like the ones she used to ride in her hometown. The door opened, revealing a small pixie-like creature in the driver’s seat.

Moon pinched her arm hard enough to draw blood.

The pixie was still there, its eyes now furrowed, focusing intently on Moon. It crossed its arms as a scowl formed on its face. “Well, are you coming aboard or not? It’s not like you have anywhere else to go now!”

Hesitantly, Moon hopped on the bus, and the doors slid shut behind her, forcing her to step forward, closer towards the pixie.

“What _are_ you?” She choked out, holding onto a pole as the bus lurched forward, nearly knocking her sideways. The pixie’s eyes shifted to her briefly before refocusing on the vast expanse of cloud-stuff before them, and tipped its small cap.

“Sprinkles. The Clefairy. Where’s your fare?”

“ _Fare?!_ ”

The Clefairy reclined in its seat, looking deadpan at the girl. “This shit isn’t free.”

Moon paled, patting her pockets with her free hand. _Nothing_.

She looked back and forth, trying to find _something_ that could work.

She looked at her bracelet, sans blade, and felt as if all the stars in the cosmos had aligned at just that moment. She tugged it off with careful manoeuvring, one arm wrapped around the pole to keep her steady.

She held it out towards the Clefairy.

It was snatched out of her hand in seconds, and slipped onto the pixie’s arm. The Clefairy waved it around, smiling, if only for a moment. A blink, and it had returned to its usual scowl.

“Take a seat, kid. It’s gonna be a while.”

Time passed slowly as Moon lounged on the seats of the space-travelling bus. The silence of the bus gave her a good excuse to think, so she let her mind wander. She had no idea how _she_ had a device that could send to her to such a place. Her gaze drifted towards the melding colours and shapes out the window. Though she couldn’t see colour, herself, she knew there were plenty of colours before her at that moment. Her chest tightened, knowing she was missing out on a spectacular sight.

It led her to thoughts about her past, and she closed off the thoughts instantly. She didn’t need to think about that.

She _never_ wanted to think about it. Ever again.

Before long, the bus came to a halt, the Clefairy looking over its shoulders once again. “This is your stop, kiddo.”

Moon faced the exit door of the bus, looking out it towards the cloudstuff below. Hesitantly, she stepped forward, foot stretched to touch the ground -

And then she was falling. Again.

This time when she landed, it wasn’t on her feet.

She ended up in a jumbled heap on a carpeted floor. Se let loose a pain-filled groan, shuffling slowly to sit upright. In front of her was a bed - a very soft looking one, at that, with a black duvet covering it.

Thoughts of climbing into it crossed her mind, if only for a moment, before she realized she had fallen into someone’s bedroom.

With more effort than she would have liked, Moon stood up, surveying the rest of the room and its odd mix of shades. The walls were a pristine white, as if they belonged to a hospital ward, though the carpet was a dark grey. What was somewhere between the two ends of grey-scale dressed the rest of the room.

The room was minimalist in terms of decoration, though she couldn’t snoop around, even if she wanted to, as she heard footsteps from beyond the room’s door.

The handle began to turn.

Biting down on her lip so that she wouldn’t squeal in surprise, Moon dropped soundlessly back to the floor and crawled backwards under the bed at lightning speed, eyes facing the door.

The door opened, revealing legs clad in a dark shade.

The person shuffled about the room, grumbling under their breath. After grabbing an item they apparently needed, they slammed the door shut on their way out. Moon sighed in relief, then left the confines of the underside of the bed after a few quiet minutes.

She needed to get out, somehow. The bedroom had no windows, however, so she had no idea what kind of house she was in.

Or if she would run into anyone else.

“S-stop what you’re doing, thief!”

Moon wheeled around, coming face to face with a light-haired girl half-out of the closet, fists held out as if intending to fight. Moon narrowed her eyes at the wad of cash hidden in her left hand.

“Isn’t that what _you_ are?”

The girl pouted, placing her hands on her hips. “That was my brother that just left. Let’s just say he owes me.” She shifted, hands tugging on the ends of her dress as if suddenly nervous.

“You just... Appeared. Out of nowhere,” she added softly, looking at Moon curiously. “What’s your name?”

“You could at least tell me yours, you know,” Moon replied dryly, arms crossed against her chest. She was beginning to wonder how this place was any better than her old world already, and it had been a wonderful, painstaking ten minutes.

The girl before her laughed, and Moon’s heart constricted. It was so familiar, yet so foreign. If only she could place the feeling…

“My name is Lillie, and you’re currently in Aether Paradise,” the girl started, moving closer towards Moon. “I’d take it you’re not from around here at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy birthday to me i want some gratification so have this
> 
> megan has me held very figuratively at gunpoint so that I finish /this/ fic so please bear with me


	2. Fateful Encounter

“What. The hell. Are those?” Moon hid behind the taller girl as they traversed the conservation area, gaping in awe at the creatures before her. She had never seen anything like them before. Her heart beat fast, both in excitement, and fear, at the beasts before her.

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen a single Pokemon before,” Lillie mused, hands held behind her back as they strolled along the walkway, sunhat bouncing with each step she took. She took her time explaining the monsters to Moon as several Pikipek flew overhead, chattering excitedly over the new visitor. Charjabug and Yungoos followed the pair excitedly, as far as their area would take them, beeping and bellowing hearty goodbyes as the girls rounded a corner.

It was stunning to Moon. Powerful creatures that could easily wreak havoc, if given the chance, were also friendly towards people. They were willing to be caught in devices, and trained as partners - and they even fought!

The idea of a Pokemon battle, of having two creatures fight for sport, was equal parts terrifying and amazing to her.

She almost wanted to learn more immediately. The amount of information Lillie was throwing at Moon was giving her a headache, however.

Besides, she had more pressing matters to tend to.

Like where she would sleep.

Moon’s steps came to halt, a sigh escaping past her lips. “This is great and all,” she began, hand clamped onto her arm, squeezing tight, unsure of what exactly to say. “... But I need to figure out where to go, and how to provide for myself.”

Lillie turned to face Moon and walked up to her, placing her hands gently on the other girl’s shoulders. “I’ll figure that part out for you.” Her voice came out strong, her eyes sparkled confidently. Her decision was made almost as soon as she saw Moon.

“How?”

“I have connections!” Lillie replied excitedly. “I know exactly who to trust with your predicament. So. Relax. Already!” She squeezed Moon’s shoulders and pulled away, her expression even more excited, if it was possible.

“For now, you have to get acquainted with this world, right? Let’s go to the library.”

~

The library on the main floor was a picture perfect opposite to the rest of the dazzling white Aether Paradise. Instead of marble and tile was hardwood floor, and desks and bookcases made of solid wood to match stood in rows. The amount of bookcases took Moon’s breath away - exactly where would she even start? She took a path to the left, while Lillie veered off to the right with an exclamation of “I’ll find all the basic knowledge for you! Go find topics that seem interesting!” that Moon shook her head fondly at. She continued her trek deeper into the library, eyeing the titles of books with a half-hearted effort.

Pokemon breeding, suitable environments, Alolan forms, mega evolution… every title she looked at sounded like gibberish in her mind. Perhaps it would be best to start with the basics, and world history, and work herself up from there. She sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Where would the history books be, then?

Another step, and the unmistakable sound of a piano began to fill the rows of bookshelves with a sombre melody. The keys were hit lightly, perfectly in time, and Moon felt as if she had once again been transported to another world. She followed after the song quietly, slowing her steps to match the pace.

The sight of a book covered in a dark red leather froze her mid-step. Moon’s mind whirled, heart taking on a mind of its own as it began to beat erratically against her ribcage.

 _I can see colour!_ She held onto a shelf, afraid she would trip and fall while panicked.

First she was transported to another world. And now, after all that time, she was finally able to see colour again? She took a deep breath to collect herself.

What would even cause it? Was it the music? She exhaled and stood upright, and continued towards the source of the melody.

The tone of the song changed as Moon rounded a corner and came face to face with a piano at the back of the library. The deep, soulful notes hit home at Moon’s heart, the acoustics of the open area amplifying each keystroke. High windows that opened out to a view of the deep blue ocean towered behind the piano, shining bright streaks of light onto the smooth, black surface. A black creature with long ears and yellow rings on its body slept soundly in the middle of the instrument; behind it, a young man with dazzling blond, choppy hair hunched at the piano, swaying slightly in time with the song.

The crescendo hit, and his body straightened, arms moving erratically as his soul bled into the song. The Pokemon before him seemed unfazed, and Moon gawked - not only at the beautiful colours before her, but at the the dramatic and sorrowful melody, and how practised the young man before her was.

The melody slowed, and after what felt like an eternity, stopped. Moon’s sense of colour fell away with it, monochrome shades replacing the vibrancy she had witnessed earlier. Her heart fell as well; her intuition was right.

But music had never done that to her before. So why now?

Lost in thought, Moon didn’t notice the rush of movement down by her feet, or the sound of the piano key lid closing.

Or of a soft screech from a piano stool.

Or of the footsteps that made their way towards her, that fell in soundless, practised movements against the hardwood floor.

She didn’t notice the sudden shadow that loomed over her, or the figure leaning against the bookcase, now in front of her.

She did, however, jump approximately three feet into the air when a smooth voice passed over her head, sending the hair at the back of her neck straight, and goose bumps to run down her arms in fear.

Looking forward, her eyes fell on the young man who had been playing the piano. Bangs fell in front of one eye, though that didn’t stop the other from scrutinizing every inch of her.

He cleared his throat, tugging gently at the neck of his hoodie.

“I’ll ask once more. Who are you?”

Moon took a breath, and felt it stick in her throat.

“Gladion! Don't mind Moon - she's just visiting!” Lillie scurried forward, a tower of books obscuring part of her face, coming to Moon's rescue. She stopped right in front of her, shielding Moon from the sharp eyes of her brother. With a long exhale, Moon peered around her, curious like a Meowth investigating a sleeping Houndoom.

Gladion raised a brow at his sister’s antics, but visibly relaxed, and shoved away from the bookcase to stand upright. Even though Moon thought Lillie was tall, Gladion had a good few inches more on _her_.

She briefly wondered what sort of genes they had to be _that lucky_.

“What are all the history books for, then?”

The two girls flustered, Lillie shouting in protest as Gladion easily grabbed half of the stack, his eyes half lidded as he skimmed the titles. He hummed thoughtfully, turned, and made his way over to a nearby desk where he laid the pile of books down. He turned back to the girls, leaning against the desk, expression thoughtful.

“History books. And common knowledge...” he murmured, hand holding his chin. His gaze fell to the black fox-like creature that continued to sleep, and then to Moon. “Moon, was it? What species is that Pokemon, there?”

Moon faltered, and slipped behind Lillie, out of Gladion's sight. “I think he's onto us,” Moon whispered. Lillie sighed in reply, and shifted the remained books to cradle in her arm, the other planted on her hip in defiance.

In turn, Gladion raised his brow once again. The sibling's silent battle raged, expressions exchanged at a rapid pace. In the end, Lillie surrendered, moving towards her brother to place the books along with the others.

“If we tell you, your life is ours for the taking, dear brother.”

~

“So let me get this straight,” Gladion's voice rang out across the otherwise silent library, leaning back far enough in his chair that the front legs lifted up, his foot planted on the edge of the desk to keep himself balanced, “you're from... another world.”

Moon nodded silently, sitting diagonally from the young man, Lillie between the two.

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

“I was thinking Professor Kukui and Burnet would be able to make accommodations,” Lillie replied, hands laced in front of her. “After all, wormholes are _kind of_ their thing. They would be interested in --”

Gladion sighed at the same time as Lillie spoke, running a hand through his hair. “I still can't believe you _landed in my room_.”

“I can't believe I got transported to another world, so that makes two of us,” Moon said, chin in her hands.

Lillie huffed. “Are you two even paying attention to what I'm saying?”

“Totally,” Moon and Gladion replied in unison.

“So,” Lillie continued, finally gaining their attention, “I'll take you to them so you have somewhere to stay, so in return you should come to our school.”

“School?” Moon paled, “What good would that do me?”

“Well considering you know nothing about our world, it would be a good place to _get_ some information,” Gladion said, arms crossed over his chest as he rocked his chair lazily.

Moon pouted, clearly not a fan of the idea. “I haven't been to an actual school in _years_.”

“And why not?” Lillie asked.

Moon bit down on her lip, and winced when she opened the wound it already had. Hesitantly, slowly, with a drawn breath - “Back in my world,” she paused, gaze to the desk.

Why was it so hard to admit?

“Back in my world, I was part of an idol group.”

“Oh, that's quite an accomplishment!” Lillie gasped, turning in her chair to face Moon fully. “You must be a talented singer.”

“Not really,” Moon mumbled, looking away.

Gladion watched the exchange silently, gears slowly turning in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man i haven't used the word "unison" in so long whats up with that


End file.
